War Paint
by rradive
Summary: A young pegasus' career as Captain of the Royal Guard's Air Division is threatened when her emotions get the best of her. But when war breaks out, they need her now more than ever. Turns out this new enemy isn't really so new, and when Skid Mark's past comes back to haunt her, will she be able to keep her emotions in check? Or will this enemy be too much to handle?
1. Chapter 1

-Chapter One-

A young filly whimpered in the corner of her home in Cloudsdale, unseen by two dark colored pegasi in black, glimmering armor. Her parents had told her to close her eyes and hide, and that they loved her with all their hearts. She had responded, "I love you too Mama and Papa!" Sniffling and snorting as she cried.

But she couldn't tear her eyes away, they only widened in fear and shock. Tears streamed down her face as the two dark stallions took away what mattered to her most; her family. Blood was spilled onto the floor as her parents took their last breaths, and a whimper escaped her throat.

Two sets of glowing eyes turned to her, and she held her breath.

"Well, look what we have here..." One spoke. She squealed, running from her hiding spot and past the two ponies. But she wasn't nearly as fast as the two of them. They caught up quickly, and one of them grabbed her by the tail between their teeth. As strong as she could, the little filly bucked her back legs, nailing the stallion in the jaw. He abruptly let go, huffing and growling in pain.

"You little... Get her!" She was once again grabbed by the tail, and lifted up. The tiny, light blue Pegasus squirmed and flapped her little wings, but to no prevail.

Suddenly, there was light filtering through the windows, and a sound. "There!" Came a voice from outside.

"We need to get out of here!" One of the two pegasi said. The filly was harshly thrown, crashing into a coffee table. She cried out as a vase broke, the shattered glass piercing her right eye. The two dark ponies were gone.

The door to the Cloudsdale home opened, and a number of ponies galloped in. There were a few moments before anyone spoke.

"Princess... There's a child..."

She was picked up once more, this time gently, and not by the tail. Whimpering, she looked up to see none other than Celestia herself.

"P-Princess?" She managed. She was in a lot of pain.

"Hello little one. I see you hurt your eye?" The princess responded. The little Pegasus began to cry again, although the pain had numbed with the help of some magic.

"I-I didn't do it, th-the mean ponies did!" She wailed. "Th-they hurt M-Mama and Papa!"

"I know, dear, I know... We're gonna get you fixed right up, okay?" Celestia kept up a positive expression best she could, but it was difficult.

"Now, what's your name?" She asked. The filly sniffled.

"Skid Marks... M-My name is Skid Marks..."

.o.O.o.

Hello there, Jay here! This is just a little something I came up with. This may or may not be the story that includes some submitted OC's. I really need ideas though, seeing as I'm not an experienced writer, so prompts would be helpful!.


	2. Chapter 2

-Chapter 2-

Skid Marks cast her eyes to the ground. Her stomach was still at the scene of her little "accident".

"Captain Skid Marks."

She glanced up, but her head stayed low, cheeks tinged pink. This wasn't the first time she had gotten in trouble for this kind of thing.

"You know that if this happens again..."

"Y-Yes, Sir... I know... Sir..." She had worked so hard to get to this point in her life, and she couldn't screw it up now. The white unicorn in front of her sighed.

"You have such a big heart... And I know it's difficult to make decisions sometimes... Trust me, I know..." The Royal Guard's Captain lifted her chin up with a hoof. "But I also know you have great potential, and that you make a great leader."

"How do you do it? Deal with all the emotions?" Skid asked her Captain.

"I just kind of... Numb it out sometimes..." Shining said, followed by giving her a pat on the back. "You can do it, Skid Marks. I believe in you." He smiled.

"Thank you, Shining. I wont let you down!" Skid said, standing up tall.

"Alright then, you're dismissed." Skid Marks trotted off to her room, needing a good nights sleep. Today she had another issue, freezing up when unsure what to do. She would never leave a team hanging, but this was the second time just this week that she froze, hovering in midair, before rushing back to the ground to regain herself.

They were currently out of Equestria, aiding Saudi Arabia in their civil dispute. Some Arabian ponies were protesting at their leaders' refusal to raise the minimum wages. But, others understood that the country wasn't making money quick enough to support it. Some violence had broken out, and the riots were becoming a bit too much. Worried that it could get out of hand, Equestria's Royal Gaurd had offered to help.

As Skid Marks trotted off to her room, she did her best to ignore the occasional whispers, snickers, and judgmental looks. But no matter how hard she tried, the guilt and embarrassment still filled her mind. And as she laid in her bed that night, she wanted nothing more than for the protesting to be over, and to be back home in Equestria.

.o.O.o.

The next day, Skid woke up abruptly to her alarm going off. It was still dark out, she noticed, and sighed. The light blue pegasus forced herself out of bed, showered, and got dressed. Since the Air Division, also known as Royal Gaurd Air had been formed, the flyers had received different armor. It was made to be more flexible, cover more of their bodies, but still provide protection. It had the build of the WonderBolt's uniform, but with flexible armor built in, and the same color and basic design of regular Royal Gaurd armor. Skid Marks, being Captain of the Royal Gaurd Air, had a uniform of the same build, but with the looks of Shining Armor's armor, though instead of purple, it was a navy blue, seeing as she was still under him in terms of ranks.

Skid Marks thought back on past memories as she did her morning patrol, flying through the cities, making sure protests, if there were any, were peaceful.

She remembered getting her Cutie Mark, that one day she crashed into a cloud yet again, giggling to herself and deciding her clumsiness was just a part of what made her Skid. She also remembered her first day back at school after something she couldn't remember happened, how all the other little fillies and colts whispered to each other, giving concerned looks, unsure how to approach their friend. The first secret she ever kept, still to this day, with her best friend Specks. The day she realized she didn't really think colts were cute, and the day she told her friends. And one of her earliest memories, her unique wings being examined for their different shape. She had "humming bird" wings, giving her many more different ways to fly and maneuver. It was a gift and a curse, making it a bit more difficult to fly, but also giving her more opportunity. It had been brushed off as a "birth defect".

Before she knew it, her morning patrol was over, and the sun was up. She flew back in to the castle, standing at attention as she landed in front of Shining Armor, who was waiting for a report.

"Your flying is getting better, Captain." He complimented. The corner of Skid's mouth twitched as she held back a smile.

"Thank you, Sir."

"At ease." He said, and she relaxed.

"No protests this morning, Sir. Better than yesterday, I think the citizens may have calmed down and just decided to forget it." she informed him. "Sir." She added.

"Alright, Captain. We'll keep an eye out for the rest of the day. You're dismissed."

"Thank you, Sir." And with that she trotted off.

"Hey." Shining called, and Skid turned.

"Hm?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Your flying really is getting better." He smiled, as did she.

"Thank you... I really hope we can head home soon. I can go home to Cloudsdale for a bit, and you can go see Cadence. It'll be nice."

"Yeah... Hey, then you can train the new recruits!" Shining added. Skid's face fell, then she rolled her eyes and turned, laughing.

"In your dreams!" She called as she walked away. Shining Armor chuckled.

.o.O.o.

Heyo! This isn't really all that great, and its pretty slow right now, heh. This fic is more of a thing I write when I need to de-stress, and I'm not a writer, like, at all, so...  
>I'm thinking of making it first person, seeing as third person isn't exactly my forté. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! And yes, this will most likely be the fic with submitted oc's!<p>

Aight, peace!


	3. Chapter 3

-Chapter 3-

I was tired. Like, really, really tired. It was kinda bittersweet, coming home from Saddle Arabia. But, more sweet than anything. The country's civil dispute had ended, leaving everypony in peace. And, I finally got to go home to Cloudsdale. But the trip back? Ugh.

Don't get me wrong, the view is gorgeous, but Saddle Arabia is quite far from Equestria. And with my wings, it can be difficult to fly that far in one go. But it was worth it. I couldn't wait to be home.

.o.O.o.

As I arrived in Cloudsdale, I chuckled and rolled my eyes at the sight of my best friend, Specter, bouncing around on the clouds in excitement. Her wavy salmon and white highlighted mane was pulled back, as always, and her lighter tan coat had a slight shine to it. Probably Orion making sure she didn't fall off, heh.

Specter has this weird... Magic sort of thing. Some sort of spirit, or entity, has been attached to her since birth. Only she can really see him, though I have caught a glimpse of him before. He's shy, she says. They can only get so far apart from one another before it starts to hurt them both. Orion explains her Cutie Mark, a little white ghost with two hearts surrounding it.

"Skid! You're home!" She exclaimed as I landed in front of her.

"What's up, Dork?" We hugged, and she sniffed.

"Ew..." She giggled. "I'd ask how the trip back was, but seeing how sweaty you are, I guess it was tiring!" She said, giggling.

"You could say that again... Saddle Arabia is sooo far away..." I stretched my tired wings, before letting them flop down by my sides. "I'm thinking of asking Rainbow Dash if she could train me. She's one of, if not the best flyer in Equestria. And as Captain of the Royal Gaurd Air, I need stronger wings..."

Specks lowered her voice a bit as we began walking towards our house. We were roommates.

"Speaking of being Captain," she started, "how has it been? Have you had any more... Erm... Mishaps?" She asked gently. I sighed, my expression falling.

"Yeah... And if it happens again, I'm going to lose my position as Captain! It's just... Sometimes decisions are so difficult to make. Two days before we left to come home, one of the riots got bad... Like, really bad... This stallion, he was sobbing... I don't know why, but... I know it didn't have to do with the riot. Maybe he was overwhelmed. But he was begging me for something. He didn't speak English, but he seemed so distraught. But then he started to get violent, and I..." I sighed again. "Let's just say things got bad and our training isn't meant for being completely peaceful... But he had a foal with him. I didn't know what to do, I couldn't let a little one see his father get-"

"Slow down, Skid. It's alright..." Specter bumped her hip against mine, and I laughed a bit, realizing my eyes were watery. "I understand. But now you're back in Equestria, things are fine in Saddle Arabia, and you can relax, right?"

"Right... Thanks, Specks..." Suddenly I felt a tug at my mane. "And thank you too, Orion." I added, giggling.

.o.O.o.

I took in a deep breath as we walked in the door. I loved that our home smelt of pine and rain.

"Hey, wanna go down to Ponyville in a bit? I need to ask AJ about some of that fresh apple juice..." Specks called as she trotted off to her room.

"Sure, lemme shower and then we can head out!" I called back. It was hard to resist simply flopping onto my bed the second I walked into my room, but I managed. I peeled off my uniform, throwing it in my dirty laundry hamper. I would throw it in the wash before we left. Either way, I had a spare one for emergencies.

After my shower, I dried off, and headed back into my room. I went to put on the star that covered my right eye, but hesitated. Looking in the mirror, my vision was only clear through my left eye. Through my right, it was a fuzzy blur of colors. I didn't like it. My right eye had a grey iris, and the pupil was damaged and unable to dilate. A pinkish scar cut across the whole eye, and the corner of my pupil. The scar stretched almost onto my cheek a bit, and nearly to my eyebrow.

It bothered me. So I placed the yellow star over it.

Another thing that bothered me was that I still didn't know how I ended up like that. One day I would ask Celestia myself. But today wasn't that day.

I tied my bandana around my neck, it was a pale yellow with darker yellow stars on it. It was a blanket Celestia had given me when she found me, but Rarity was kind enough to make it into a bandana, so I could keep it with me always. As a finishing touch, I put in my gold stud earings. What can I say? I'm a sucker for yellow.

.o.O.o.

Heyo! Sorry my chapters are short and slow, but we'll be getting to the good stuff soon, I think. I'm just making this up as I go along, heh. Hope you enjoyed!  
>-Jay<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

-Chapter 4-

I really like Ponyville. The feel of dirt under my hooves just feels... Natural. And the natural smell of earth just makes it all the more better! That's also why I liked Sweet Apple Acres so much.

"Hey AJ!" Specks called out as we neared the barn. Apple Jack had a bushel of apples on her back, and when she saw us, she smiled.

"Well hey there, sugarcube!" She responded, setting down the apples. "What can Ah do ya two for?" She asked.

"Hows apple bucking season going?" Specks asked, her tail flicking behind her.

"It's been goin' real good this year! So far, hardly any bad apples! When cider makin' comes around, we'll have plenty to go around. Here, try a Golden Delicious!" She pushed the bucket of apples towards us, and we each took one.

I sat back on my rump to hold the apple in my hooves as I took a bite. The apple was perfectly crisp and juicy, and the flavor was amazing. I generally wasn't huge on just straight up apples, but this was amazing.

"Wow, AJ..." I took another bite. "This is amazing!" The earth pony giggled.

"Ah know, right?" She smiled wider. "We're so lucky to have the trees we do here, they always have such amazing apples!"

"You can say that again!" I looked over to see Specks, trying her best to savor the golden apple. As I finished my apple, I stood and adjusted my wings.

"Ah'm actually headed over to Sugarcube Corner in a moment here, Pinkie Pie's cousin is in town and she wants us all to meet her! Wanna join us?" I thought over AJ's question a moment, thinking back about Pinkie's sister, Maud Pie. Maybe she would be similar?

"Of course! Thanks for inviting us!" I smiled, adjusting my wings once more for a moment. I glanced over to Specter, who seemed focused on something. I also noticed a slight shine near AJ's apples. Apple Jack looked between us, smirking and raising an eyebrow.

"What's he up to now?" She asked. Specter's ears folded back, and a blush tinted her cheeks.

"He wants to know if he could have an apple... I-I have a few bits, if you like..." She spoke sheepishly. Apple Jack chuckled.

"No need to be shy, Specks, Ah understand. Go ahead, Orion. And keep yer bits, ya silly goose." An apple toppled off the pile and onto the ground, and bites were taken out of it. Once the apple was gone, a small force bumped AJ, and she chuckled again. "Yer welcome, bud."

The Elements, the Princesses, and a few members of the Royal Gaurd were aware of Orion, but not anypony else. When needed, he could really come in handy.

And on that note, we headed off into town. I was excited to meet Pinkie's cousin. I loved meeting new ponies.

.o.O.o.

Her coat was a very light lavender, and her short, slightly curly mane was navy blue with magenta and light blue highlights. Her cutie mark was a white heart, with two pixie sticks crossed behind it. And to top it off, she had darker lavender freckles speckled on her cheeks, shoulders, ears, and flank.

In a nutshell, she was beautifully adorable, and my heart skipped a beat when I first saw her slightly hiding behind Pinkie.

Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Spike were there. A few meandering customers were there as well.

When Specks, AJ, and I entered, Pinkie was bouncing with excitement.

"Hey guys! Oh my goodness, you have no idea how excited I am!" She squealed, and Twilight giggled.

"I think I can take a guess..." She smiled. "Specks, Skid, AJ, its good to see you all!" Without thinking, I automatically bowed, spreading my wings. My feathered appendages quivered slightly. I didn't like spreading them unless I was flying, their unique shape was a bit embarrassing for me to show off, but it was the proper way for a pegasus to bow to a Princess.

"Oh, Skid- I know you're Captain of the Royal Guard Air, but there's no need to bow, especially when not on official business." She giggled, blushing. I righted myself quickly, blushing slightly as well. My wings rubbed against my sides as I tried to get comfortable again.

"Heheh, sorry Twilight..." I said, smiling as well.

"Wow... Captain?" I didn't recognize the quiet voice, and looked up to see The lavender mare looking at Pinkie.

"Yup! Okay, everypony, meet Pixie Stix! She's come all the way from Manehattan!" Pinkie Pie moved behind her cousin, nudging her forward.

"Oh, uh, h-hi everypony..." She smiled shyly.

"Pixie, this is Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Apple Jack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie! Oh wait... That's me!" She giggled. "While she's here, she's going to be my apprentice!"

"Apprentice? What for?" Rainbow Dash asked. She was hovering in the air slightly.

"She wants to be a Party Pony!" Pinkie announced excitedly.

"Sounds like fun!" Spike said. "Doesn't that mean more parties?" He asked.

"More parties? Heck yeah!" Pinkie bounced. "You know what this calls for? A PARTY!" And with that, there was an explosion of confetti and streamers. It always amazed me how quickly Pinkie could start a party.

"Rule number one," she told Pixie Stix. "Always be prepared to party!" On that note, the pink party pony blew her party kazoo.

.o.O.o.

The party went on as most Pinkie Pie Parties did; tons of fun. I sipped on my glass of punch, slightly swaying to the music as I talked with Rainbow Dash.

"Well, with your wing shape, I wouldn't suggest wing-ups, it could hurt you..." She sipped her punch as well, having grounded. "So we gotta think of something else..."

I racked my brain for a moment, trying to remember my previous idea.  
>"I was thinking maybe putting weights on my wings while holding them parallel to the ground?"<p>

"Ooh, that's a good idea. I'll have to try that some time as well. How is your control?" She asked.

"It still needs a lot of work. As you know, I can do tricks and stuff fine, but my regular flying and flying fast is still off..."

"Are you flapping both your wings at the same time?" She asked, and I looked away, a bit embarrassed.

"It's kinda difficult..." I mumbled.

"Hey man, no need to be embarrassed!" The cyan pony smiled. "Flying well takes practice, and that's all you need! Start out by flapping your wings slowly, and staying grounded. Do a couple sets of flapping your wings together, and once you feel comfortable with that pace, kick it up a notch! You'll be flying at any pace like a pro in no time!"

"Thanks Rainbow Dash, you ARE pretty much the best flyer in Equestria, after all!" She blushed at my comment.

"Aw, thanks Skid..." Among the sounds of the party, I heard Pinkie's voice say "Make sure to mingle!"

Not long after, Rarity and Pixie Stix joined us.

"Uh, hey guys..." Pixie attempted with a smile.

"Hey!" " Hello!" "Hi!" We all greeted. She seemed to loosen up a bit. "So uh, how are you liking the party?"

"It's quite lovely, as all Pinkie's parties are. I'm sure she'll make a great teacher!" Rarity said, smiling.

"Yeah, ever since she was a filly, my cousin has always been into parties... She has a lot of experience!" Pixie said.

"So what's it like living in Manehattan?" Rainbow asked, sipping her punch again.

"It can be very busy, especially in the shop I work in. You should see the holidays, I make so much peppermint bark in one day, sometimes I can't feel my own hooves when I get home!" She giggled, and we laughed.

"Ahh, peppermint bark. Peppermint is always such an inspiration for the Holidays!" Rarity said. "Do you have many friends back home?"

Pixie's ears folded back. "Ah... No... Not really, heheh..."

"What?! Why not?" Dash asked, sounding surprized. "You seem like such a cool pony!" Pixie blushed.

"Aw, thank you, Rainbow Dash... I'm not as... Sophisticated as every other pony in Manehattan... I like being casual and laidback. I really like it in Ponyville so far, I feel really comfortable here. And it's nice having frie- erm... Knowing ponies like you guys.." She smiled.

"We are your friends, Pixie..." I nearly choked on my words, speaking to such an attractive pony. She seemed to blush at the nickname.

"R-Really, you are?" She asked.

"Why of course we are, dear. Who wouldn't want to be friends with somepony like you?" Rarity said.

"Yeah, you're totally awesome! You'll make a great Party Pony!" Dash added.

"Wow... Thank you, guys..." She smiled a genuine smile. "It really means a lot to me..." Pixie suddenly jumped at the sound of Spike burping. We turned to see the last of a green flame and some magical smoke, and Spike holding a scroll.

"Oh..." He seemed just as startled as Pixie. "Here ya go, Twilight!" The little purple dragon handed the scroll to Twilight.

"Thank you, Spike!" As she read, her eyes widened slightly. Her voice slowly rose as she read the last of the letter. "It is imperative that you, Twilight, and your friends head to Canterlot as soon as possible!" Twilight looked up at everypony. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna need us at once!" She said, and everypony began to speak among themselves.

Suddenly, Spike burped up another scroll. He looked it over, then handed it to me.  
>"It's for you!" He said.<p>

A bit perplexed, I opened the scroll to read.

"Captain Skid Marks,

You are required at the Castle in Canterlot at once. A threat has been made against Equestria, and we need our best protection." The writing suddenly seemed much less formal. "I'm sorry, Skid... I know we just got back from Saddle Arabia, but it's extremely important. We don't know what we're up against... I'll fill you in on the details once you arrive. Also, please bring Specter. Orion could significantly aid us in protection.

Signed, Shining Armor."

"Alright... Specks, we need you too." I said, looking up at everypony. "It's urgent."

"Wait, what's happening?" Pixie asked nervously.

"There's no time to waste, you'll have to come with us, Pixie. Everypony, pack your things. We're going to Canterlot."

.o.O.o.

Heyo! I'm back in school, so updates may be slower. As always, hope you enjoyed!

-Jay


End file.
